Poroshenko Changes ATO Tactics

President Poroshenko announced the change in tactics of the ATO to make it more efficient and minimize the damage caused by the actions of the terrorists.

He said this at a meeting with heads of law enforcement agencies, Censor.NET reports citing his press service. "We must now consider the new content of the military operation in the new circumstances," Poroshenko said. "We need to regroup to ensure protection of our territory and further offensive operations of the Army," he added. Poroshenko said that the main point now is to cut the terrorists' system of mercenaries, new weapons and ammunition supply.

According to him, the tactics now is to "split the territories controlled by the terrorists into several zones, tightly narrow the encirclement and deny opportunities for the supply of arms and ammunition." Poroshenko said that the biggest cities controlled by the militants are already besieged but they are on the edge of ecological disaster. The President said that water rises to dangerous levels at the mines of the Donbas and the terrorists are destroying transformer substations by artillery strikes disrupting the power supply of the perpetual cycle enterprises.

"Since the terrorists' presence is contemporary in these cities, the insurgents do not have any ties to them. They destroy infrastructure, blow up the substations, bridges and inflict damage to enterprises. The blame for this lies solely with the rebels and their foreign patrons," Poroshenko said. The President proposed to discuss the tactics letting to reduce the damage and avoid risks to people as well as destruction of the industrial potential of Donbas "to minimize the efforts of restoring normal life later."

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